Pneumatic piano-player.



I G. FREBORG. PNEUMATIC PIANO PLAYER. APPLIOATIQN FILED APB.16,1909.

Patented N0.v.5, 1912.

4 SHEETS-EHEET 1.

EEEE 0.; REB0RG.

v PNEUMATIC PIANO PLAYER. APPLICATION PILBD'APR. 16,1909.

1,043,220. 4' ed Nov. 5, 19.12;

' 4 sums-sum 2.

- HJL; 1 I I I U. PREBORG. PNEUMATIC PIANO PLAYER. APPLICATION FILED Am. 16, 1909.

1,043,220. Patented Nov. 5; 1912.

4 SHEETSSHBET 4. v

Q, zamvlyw $1 8315 are .'screws to'the the piano.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES rnnnone, or xnnxaxnn, ILLInoIs, sssIe Non. 'ro scna'nrrnn PIANO mama, rnc'ronme com any, A conroaA'rIoN or ILLINOIS.

.. rnnuma'rrc rI'Ano-rLAvEn.

Application filed April 18,

lballwlwmitma concern:

Be it known t at I, CKAnLas Fanaono,

; 1a citizen of the United States, residing at Kankakee, in the county of Kankakee and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Piano-Players, of which the following is a specification. x c The principal object of my invention is q to. provide anew and improved self playpiano adapted to be operated by air press ure p j .1 Another obiect is to provide a pneumatic piano player which may be readily attached lii'toan u right'piano.

fiAnot er object is to piano player having rea maticsl' rovide a pneumatic ily adjustable pneu- My invention and details which will be more readily understood 'in 7 connection with the following description; I

With all of these objects in view, m invention consists of thecombination o elements stated in the appended claims. v

Inthe' accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one specific embodiment of my invention, whic'hI will nowproceed to describe in detail.

Figure 1 is a front elevation ,of one side of a piano, the casing being removedto show my improvement as applied thereto, Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 23 in Fig. 1- looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a partial section on the line 3 in Fig. 1 looking in the direction e of 'th arrow, thls section being considerably enlarged. Fig. ,4 is a detail section on the line 4'in F' .-3 looking in the direction of the arrow. 5 is a detail section on the line 5 in Fi 3 looking in'the directionof .the arrow 'g. 6 is a view of a detail.

The keys and the hammeractions 16 are of'an ordinary type familiar in upright pianos, The keys 15 are pivoted at 19 and carry adjustable studs 18 at'their rear ends, which transmit movement through the stickare or abstracts 17 to'the hammer actions 16. Just bove, and to the rear of the keys the sleeves 21 attached by means of. check blocks at the sides of The bar 'or shaft '24 extends clear across the iano from side to sidewith its ends resting within the sleeves 21, the set screws 23 being provided to fix the Specification of Letters Patent.

also. relates to other features this end.

j Patented Nov, 5, 1912, 1909. Serial no. 490,

shaft 24 in this position. It will be 010-- served that withincertain'limits the shaft 24 is adjustable to right orleft, thus adapt:

ingrit'to fit different widths of pianos.

he upri ht brackets '25 have ring portions whic surround. the shaft 24 and which carry set screws 25' to clamp them in :positionthereon. There are several of these rackets 25 distributed along the length of the shaft 24, there being one at each end and several at intermediate points, the intermedi ate brackets 25 being preferably opposite the s aces 25'. between the hammer actions .16, s shown in Fig. 3 each bracket 25 has its upper end portion 26 inclined, and the transversely extending air chamber 28 is secured thereto in an inclined position by means of the screws 27.

I I will now describe how the pneumatics are mounted-upon the shaft 24., For each pneumatic, thereis a ring or collar 29 surrounding the shaft 24. This collar carries a plate 30, to which'the upper member 36 of. the little bellows or pneumatic 36- 437 is attached by means of, screws 31. A set screw '32 is provided to lock the ring'29 at any desired adjustment on the shaft 24. It will be observed that the pneumatic can be adjusted laterally by slidingflth'e ring 29 laterally along the shaft 24, and it can .be adjusted' further ,by rotating it around the shaft 24. As just described, certain of the pneumatics are supported underneath from re spective rings 29. From other rings 29 arms 33 extend, as shown in Fig. 3, ending in respective plates 34, to which the upper members 36 are attached by means of screws 35. The upper and lower pneumatic; are relatively staggered, and thus it is possible to make each pneumatic substantially twice as wide-as an average key space for the keys 15. The u er pneumatics have just the same capa-bi ity of adjustment as that described for the lower pneumaticsw The lower member of each pneumatic is represented by the reference numeral 37, and the u er and lower members 36 and 37 are unite by a wallof flexible material 38 closely drawn at the front end (the left as viewed in Fig. 3) sons to make aginge at v Near the hinge end of each pneumatic an .pbli ue holeis tap ed through the upper mem r 36, anda s ort tube or thimble 39 or primary air box 28 that extends clear .17., The lower member 37 of each upper inember'36 of t lies within this groove,

is introduced so the hole. 40, as, for example, over each thimble 39.

The lower member 37 of each pneumatic carries arearward extension 41 adapted to engage a bracket 42, which is attached by means of a screw 44 to the respective sticker pneu matic carriesa little cushion pad 45 of felt on its inner face." A leaf spring 46, seen edgewise in Fig.3, is bent in the shape there shown,'one endbein secured firmly to the 1e pneumatic by means of the screw 47. 'A longitudinal groove 49 is channeledin the inner face of the upper member 36 of the pneumatic, and a rod 48 as to project partially from against an r-bliqne or inclined portion 50 of the leaf spring 46. At end of the pneumatic, the rod 48 is screw threaded, as indicated by the reference number 51. The screw threads engage tightly in an appropriate hole in the upper member 36 of the pneumatic, this hole alining with the channel 49. The front extremity of the rod 48 has a head 52 adapted to be engaged by a wrench or pliers.

At the upper part of the piano, in front of'the hammer actions, is the paper music roll 53 mounted on the winding and unwinding spools 54 and adapted to pass in its course over the tracker board 55, from which the flexible tubes 56 lead, connecting with the passages 57 in the chambered member across the piano from side to side thereof.

This member 28 as a whole has an upper eration,

extension 58 in which are the respective channels 57 with branch passages 59, each such branch passage 59 being capped by a disk 60 of celluloid or other material, this perforationbeing the so-called bleed hole. Beyond the bleed hole is a chamber 61, in which, during opa vacuum is maintained. This chamber 61 is formed in amember 62, which has holes closed by plugs 63 over the revspe'ctive bleed holes. '56 1 screws 64.

ib bfrespe ctive little The member 62 is attached to the member 58 by means of The channels or conduits 57 are continbellows 66 arranged side by 's de-in-the transversely extending chamber 67. Each bellows 66 has its under member fix'ed upon a block 68, and its upper member carries a projecting knob 69, which extends vup -th'rough a rectangular hole in the plate- 70" that bounds the chamber 67 on the upper side thereof. This hole 70 1s normally closed by a rectangular button 71. An cuter button 72 is attached to the inner E6 button 71 by means of screws 74, the two A short length of flexible tubing.

rubber, has its end fitted its end abutting the front or hinge ings 79, thus bar, and it is th buttons being held apart by the spacing blocks 73. These spacing blocks 73 clamp a leather strip 75 between them, the upper end of this strip 75 having a hole there- Thisplate 78 is fastened to the member- 70 by means of screws 80, and underneath it is' leather 78' or other suitable material to -make a 'seat for the valve member 72.

Branch passages 82 lead through the member 70 from the valve openings 70 and79. Each such passage 82 ends in a thimble 81, and the respective thimbles 81 are united by the flexible tubes 40 to the corresponding thimbles 39 in the pneumatics.

A piece of transparent celluloid or other suitable material is bent in the sha e of a partial cylindrical surface and exten s from side to side of the piano over the. valve openprotecting them from dust. This shield 83 is fastened above and below by screws 84 and is open at the ends.

Having described the structure of my improved piano player, I will now describe the mode of operation thereof. The pneumatics being mounted upon the bar or shaft 24, the sleeves 21 are slipped over the ends of this en put in position between the cheek blocks 20, as shown in Fig. l. The parts are secured in position by screws through the flanges 22 and by means of the set screws 23. Referring to Fig. 2, if the hammer actions are so low down as to make it necessary, the member 28 can be tilted forward a little, the brackets 25 being rotated forward around the bar 24, and then clamped by means of the set screws 25; thus it will be seen that the member 28 has an adjustment of rotation about the bar 24. The little brackets 42, having been previously applied to the respective stickers or abstracts 17, each pneumatic is adjusted laterally' by sliding it along the bar 24 until the projection 41 from the under member 37 thereof comes directly beneath the respective bracket 42.- Next, the respective neumatics are rotated about the bar 24 until the projection 41 are brought to have a normal position directly beneath the brackets 42. Finally, the pneumatics are clamped in position by means of the set screws 32.

The main suction bellows of the machine (not shown) maintains a moderate degree of vacuum in the chambers'fil and 67, these being connected by an air conduit not shown in the drawin s. Normall ,the same vacuum is maintains in the condi1it,56-57-65 by reason of the communication throu h the small bleed-hole in the,disk 60. en-

ever an opening in the tracker-board 55'is 2 5 qu ckly escape through the bleed hole 60 P38 "1 Banal-Q11 W a lie.

BEE COPY uncovered by a slot in the music'roll 53, air will rush in through the hole in the trackerhoard to till the conduit 565765.

By reason of the reduced external air pressure on the small bellows 66, the latter will fill 'with'ai'r from the conduit 65. This V will cause"the-projectingknob 69 to'raise 1 the valve-member" 7 1-7 2, closing the opening"tilrivh?i"cli leads the external air and connecting the flexible tube 40 through the openingi'Owvitli' thevacuum chamber .67.

w "The reduced] air pressure'in'the flexible tube i 40*will be communicated'to the interior'of "covered, the air Will-be esciiping from the,

the pneumatic 36-437 and the external air .3

pressure will causefit to 'collapse. The upper member of this pneumaticbeing held in fixed position cn' the' shaft'24,*the lower member will rise, "carrying with it the sticker or abstract 17. All the time that the hole in the tracker-hoard. remains unconduit 57 through the bleed-hole 60 into the I vacuum chamber 61. But as soon as the hole in the tracker board 55 is 'closed,.by.,the paper roll 53, the airin the conduit 57 will until equilibrium isreachedwith the same degrees of vacuum-inthe conduit 57 as in the vacuum chamber '61. This will cause the little bellows 66 to fall back to its nor v mal position, as shown in Fig 3 of the drawings. 'ThiS' in turn v'vill cause the valve opening 70 to'be closed by the valve member 71-72' and at the same time will cause the valve opening 79 to be opened.v This will permit atmospheric air to rush into the (i011- duit 40, thus inflating the pneumatic 36 3 37,

'Q'and permitting the abstract orstickeril fl fto drop back to its normal position I i g .I desire call particular 'attent n' to the fact that thispneun'iatic piano player can be made up complete in advance and that it has such a degree of adjustability-th'at' it can thereafter be applied toany ordinary upright piano. This feature of construction avoids the necessity for taking measurements of a particular piano and then d'esigning the playersoas to fit that piano.

' gagement withits respective sticker or ab-.

Another advantage of my improvement is that the'necessary adjustment of the pneumatics to make them co-act properly with the abstracts or stickers can be accomplished with the utmost readiness. It will be seen that each p'n'e'um'atic'hasa lateral and. an oscillatory adjustment on the shaft 24, so that-it can be brought into exact enstract 17. Moreover, the parts are readily accessible for the purpose of making such adjustment; the set screws 32 are at the front, where they are directly accessible, and there is no need for removing any portion of the pneumatic player attachment, nor for getting in behind the pneumatics in order to make the adjustment. In addition to this the bare,

adjustability of the pneumatics, it is to be observed that the member 28 has an oscillatory adjustment so that itcan be placed in a position not to interfere Withthe ham I mer actions, no matter whetherjthe stickers orabstracts are long or short. Ilfiesir'tc' direct attention to the factthat ad vantage of the usual'spaces-in'thi an'imer pr n actions to introduce bracke 25 the member 28.

The] structures of the valve; and; of the valve openings Z01and'79are sirn' 1e.

and advantageous. By elongating the va V9,. openings in an n and down direction,they

may be inadesu ciently large without the necessity for staggering them, as might be the shield 83 can be readily removed by tak in}; out the screws 84. It will be seen that the specific embodiment of my invention which I have de-.

scribed in the foregoing specification is adapted to perform the objects already stated and that it realizes the advantages which I have enumerated.

I claim: A

1. In a device of the class described, a bar adjustably supported at its ends, and a series of 'pneumatics adjustably mounted on said bar.

2. In a device of the class described, flanged sleeves adapted to be attached to the cheek blocks of a piano, a bar having its end supported in said sleeves, and aseries of neumatics adjustably mounted on said bar. 3! In a device of the class described, a bar supported atits ends, a series of pneumatics,

rings on'sa-id' bar to which the res ctive neumatics are attached, and means or fixmg the'ringsin any desired adjustment on t. In adevice of the class described, a bar supported at its ends, a series of staggered pneumatics arranged respectively above and below the bar, rings on the bar towhich the respective pneumatics are attached, andmeans for fixing the rings in any desired ad-.

justment on the bar.

5.-In a device of the class described,

series of pneumatics, supporting means for said pneumatics adapte adjustment thereof, and rotational adjustment thereof about a transverse horizontal C axis. e

6. In a device of the class described, a

series of iano action stickers, a, bar adapted. to be 'ad ustably supported at lts ends infront ofsaid stickers, brackets on the respective stickers, pneumatics adjust-ably mounted on the bar, each pneumatic having no; to permit lateral a part adapted to engage a respective sticker bracket, and means to fasten the pneumatics on the bar in position to properly engage the sticker brackets.

7 In a device of the class described, a row of piano action stickers, a bar adapted to be adjustably supported at its ends in front of said stickers, a series of pneumatics each comprising two relatively movable members, and a series of adjustable mountings upon the bar attached respectively to one member of each of the series of pneumatics, the other members of the pneumatics being adapted to engage the respective stickers.

8. In a device of the class described,a pair of sleeves adapted to be attached respectively to a piano framework at its sides, a

' gagement with the bracket on the sticker,

10. In a device of the class described, a bar supported at its ends, brackets on the bar, and an air chamber mounted on said brackets.

11. In a device of the class described, a bar supported at its ends, a plurality of sleeves on said her with respective integral projecting members, an air chamber attached to the'extremity of said members, and means to lock the said sleeves in any desired position on the bar.

12. In a device of the class describci'm bar supported at its ends, series of pneumatics adjustably mounted on said bar, and an air chamberalso adjustably mounted on said bar. I J' 18. In a device of the class described, a

said neumatics in bar adjustably supported by the frame, and a series of pneumatics adjustably supported on said bar.

' 14. In a device of the class described, a bar supported by the frame, means whereby said bar may be attached to frames of different Widths, and a series of pueumatics adustablv mounted on said oar.

15. In a device of the class described, a,

bar ada ted tobe supported at its ends in front 0 a row of piano action stickers, a. series of Pneumatics each comprising two relatively movable members, and a series of adjustable mountings upon the bar attached respectively to one member of each of the series of pneumatics, the other members of the pneumatics being adapted to engage the respective stickers.

l6. In a device of the class described, a plurality of rows of neumatics, and means for supporting said pneumatics in variable lateral positions of adjustment thereof and in variable rotational positions of adjust ment thereof in planes transverse to the direction of said lateral adjustment.

1?. In a. device of the class described, a plurality of rows of pneumatics arranged in a vertical series, and means for supporting variable lateral positions of adjustment thereof and in variable rota tional positions of adjustment thereof in planes transverse to the direction of said lateral adjustment.

18. In a device of the class described, a series of piano action stickers, a plurality of rows of pneumatics arranged in a vertical series in operative relation to said stickers, and means for supporting said pneumatics in variable rotational positions of adjustment thereof in planes parallel to the direction of movement of the stickers.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

CHARLES FREBORG.

Witnesses:

THOMAS F. SHERIDAN, HENRY A. PARKS.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the G'ommlssioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 8. 

